A total of 200 candidates will contest the 18 senatorial seats in the six Southwest states in the January 2027 elections, but only 21 of them are women, according to the final list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The figures mean women account for just 10.5 per cent of the candidates across Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti, leaving men with 179 spots, or 89.5 per cent of the total field.
INEC’s final list also points to a highly fragmented contest, with 21 different party labels represented across the region.
Osun has the largest Senate field, recording 39 candidates across its three senatorial districts. Oyo follows with 38, Ogun 37, Lagos 36, Ondo 31 and Ekiti 19.
The distribution differs from the House of Representatives list equally released by INEC today, where Lagos had the largest number of candidates in the Southwest.
| State | Candidates | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osun | 39 | 7 | 32 |
| Oyo | 38 | 4 | 34 |
| Ogun | 37 | 4 | 33 |
| Lagos | 36 | 3 | 33 |
| Ondo | 31 | 1 | 30 |
| Ekiti | 19 | 2 | 17 |
| Southwest | 200 | 21 | 179 |
Osun records biggest Senate field
Osun leads the region with 39 candidates distributed across Osun Central, Osun East and Osun West.
Seven women are listed among the Osun candidates: Adeniyi Yemisi, Becky Foluso James, Oguntade Sabainah Adebola, Onile Elizabeth Ifepade, Oni Oluwatoyin Esther, Rufai Mariam Adeola and Adesina Bola Dorcas.
Osun West has 13 candidates, including Oyewumi Kamorudeen Olalere, Rufai Mariam Adeola, Adegboyega Muritala, Olasupo Ibraheem Olanrewaju, Oriolowo Adelere Adeyemi, Ogunbiyi Akinade Akanmu and Adesina Bola Dorcas.
The breadth of the field reflects the number of political parties seeking representation in the state’s three senatorial districts.
Oyo race includes 84-year-old candidate
Oyo has 38 candidates, making it the second-largest Senate field in the Southwest.
One of the most notable entries is 84-year-old Owoyemi Obafemi Emmanuel, who is contesting Oyo North on the Labour Party platform.
Oyo North has 12 candidates, including Muslim Yisa Yusuff, Ige Salawudeen Adeyemi, Agoro Lanre Adehirah, Ogunesan Hannah Olawumi, Peller Shina Abiola and Owoyemi.
Another 12 candidates are listed for Oyo South, including Owolabi Oludare Amos, Kolawole Dayo, Oloyede Esther, Lukman Adeola Adetunji, Oseni Abasi Aderemi, Oni Ayobami Opeyemi and Oladimeji Theophilus Oluwasegun.
Four women are contesting Senate seats in Oyo: Adediji-Ogunsanya Funmilayo Ayonade, Ogunesan Hannah Olawumi, Ojekunle Abigail Olanike and Oloyede Esther.
Ogun has 37 candidates
Ogun has 37 candidates — 13 in Ogun Central, 12 in Ogun East and 12 in Ogun West.
Among those listed in Ogun Central are Ajetunmobi Lateef, Bolaji Kolawole, Alonge Akinwunmi Olatunbosun, Samuel Oluwafemi Abiodun-Oni, Salisu Shuaibu Afolabi and Obasanjo Iyabo.
Ogun East includes Bisiriyu Qudus, Jayesimi Abiodun Oluwafemi, Tijani Lateef Akanni, Adebanjo Babatunde Olalekan and Abiodun Adedapo Olusegun.
Candidates in Ogun West include Salaudeen Fatai, Alabi Abraham Olatunji, Ogunbiyi Kehinde Bolanle, Chukwu Christopher Kelechi, Olanrewaju Abdul-Lateef Ajani, Ojugbele Jimo Olusola and Itakpe Oluwayemisi Abiola.
Four women are on the Ogun list: Sado Evelyn Mayowa, Awosusi Racheal, Obasanjo Iyabo and Itakpe Oluwayemisi Abiola.
Lagos has 36 candidates
Lagos records 36 candidates across its three senatorial districts.
Lagos Central has 11 candidates, Lagos East has 10, while Lagos West has 15.
Among those contesting Lagos Central are Wahab Solomon Oladimeji, Odunuyi Babatunde Samuel, Abayomi Idowu Omotayo, Sanni Eshilokun Wasiu Olatunji, Ojumu Desmond Oludare, Omolola Oluwatosin David and Johnson Lawrence Adeniyi Oladipupo.
Lagos East includes Maduka-Sunday Blessing Maria, Abiru Adetokunbo Mukhail, Obadiaru Charles Imwoghomwen, Olayokun Adeshina and Adeniji Victor.
Lagos West has candidates including Oladeji Oladele Oluwatosin, Ishola Bamidele Johnson, Ajayi Adewale, Somefun Olusola Alfred, Bello Owolabi Hafis, Adebule Idiat Oluranti, Koshoedo Setonji Gbemenu, Phillips Adebiyi Abiodun, Amike Primate Henry and Adenipebi Mode Adekunle.
Only three women — Maduka-Sunday Blessing Maria, Adebule Idiat Oluranti and Adebowale Princess Teniola Anike — appear among Lagos’ 36 candidates.
Ondo has just one woman
Ondo has 31 candidates, but only one woman appears on the final list.
The state has 10 candidates in Ondo North, 10 in Ondo Central and 11 in Ondo South.
Candidates listed across the districts include Ajayi Olugbenga Raphael, Foluso Mayowa Felix Adefemi, Ipinsagba Olajide Emmanuel, Momoh Ilori Adesina, Adenekan Olateru Olagbegi, Kuteyi Temitope Odunayo, Akinnodi Ayodeji Emmanuel, Akinyelure Patrick Ayo, Adegbonmire Adeniyi Ayodele and Oguntuase Joshua Foluso.
Ondo South features Abiodun Taofeek Olatundun, Oladejo Samuel, Adesanya Olaoluwa, Tofowomo Nicholas, Kekemeke Duerimini Isaacs and Ubojo Olatunji.
Omolabaro Shina Omotilewa, aged 40, is the sole woman listed among the 31 Ondo candidates. She is contesting Ondo North.
Ekiti has smallest field
Ekiti has the smallest Senate field, with 19 candidates.
Ekiti North has six candidates, Ekiti Central eight and Ekiti South five.
Among the candidates are Ayeni Funso, Fasuyi Cyril Oluwole, Oladimeji Joshua Ayodele, Oguntoye Ayobami Samuel, Osinkolu Olisegun Ayodele and Obafemi Olugbenga Peter in Ekiti North.
Ekiti Central features Ojo Oladayo, Akinyemi Victor Babafemi, Bamidele Michael Opeyemi, Abiola Babafemi Paul, Oyetunde Sunday Olusayo, Owoseni Akinmakinde Tunde, Omolayo Taiwo Oluwagbenga and Fatuyi-Olajuyigbe Monica Adesola.
Ekiti South has five candidates, including Ogunleye Tunde, Kolawole Job Nathaniel, Adaramodu Adeyemi Raphael, Ogunjobi Opeyemi Morakinyo Richard and Ayenioye Olabisi, the second woman on the Ekiti list.
21 parties in Southwest Senate contest
The final list shows that the 2027 Senate race extends well beyond the traditional APC-PDP rivalry.
ADC and APC each have 18 candidates, followed by APM and NDC with 17 apiece. SDP has 16 candidates, while PDP has 15.
Other party labels appearing on the list are A, ADP, LP, APP, NRM, NDP, YPP, DLA, ZLP, AA, NNPP, AAC, PRP, BP and YP.
With an average of about 11 candidates competing for each senatorial district, voters in the Southwest are facing unusually broad choices in the January 2027 poll.
Candidates span almost five decades
The age profile also varies sharply.
The youngest candidates identified in the Southwest list are 35 years old, including Bisiriyu Qudus of Ogun East and Adebiyi Adewale Adegoroye of Ondo Central.
At the opposite end is Owoyemi Obafemi Emmanuel, the 84-year-old Labour Party candidate in Oyo North.
The candidates therefore span an age range of almost five decades, from their mid-30s to their 80s.
Overall, the final INEC list paints a picture of a highly competitive but heavily male-dominated Southwest Senate race.
Osun has the largest field, while Ekiti has the smallest. Female representation remains particularly low, with women making up just one in every 10 candidates across the region and Ondo recording the lowest proportion.
The candidate list, however, does not indicate which contestants are favourites or predict the eventual winners. It establishes the candidates officially included by INEC and provides the demographic and political information contained in the commission’s final document.
The accompanying PDF contains the complete list of all 200 Southwest Senate candidates, arranged by state and senatorial district.
See link: 2027 Southwest Senate Candidates
Source: INEC, Presidential and National Assembly Elections for January 2027 – Senatorial District Final List of Candidates, signed by INEC Secretary Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
